Eqlid

Eqlid is a city in the Central District of Eqlid County, Fars province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district.

Historical background
During the Achaemenid empire its name was Azargarta.(source: Parto-e vahid dar asrare takhte jamshid پرتو وحید در اسرار تخت جمشید)

Eqlid's name might come from "kelid," which means key in Persian. Up to the recent years, older people used to call it "kelil." The main reason behind this name is that it was the main gateway to Fars, and specially Persepolis in the old ages and the road called "royal road" used to pass through it. other routes to Persepolis were mountainous and difficult to pass.

Legend says that Eghlid was built by three brothers called Elias, Aslam, and Orjam. There are three main neighborhood (which used to be three castles) in Eghlid bearing the name of these three brothers: Eliasan, Aslaman, Orjaman.

Eqlid has many historical places dating back to pre-Islamic era.

There is an old mosque in the center of the city (jame' mosque)

Population
At the time of the 2006 National Census, the city's population was 49,709 in 10,214 households. The following census in 2011 counted 44,552 people in 12,435 households. The 2016 census measured the population of the city as 44,341 people in 13,210 households.

Geography
Eqlid is 22 km west of the Expressway between Isfahan and Shiraz. It is close to the mountain chain of Zagros and has one of the highest elevations (a mountain peak known as Bel) among Iran cities (2250 meters).

It is also close to the desert city of Abarqu, making it a city in the border of high mountain and desert. It has a dry and cold weather, and some of its mountain peaks are covered by snow throughout the year. It is an agriculture city and its main products are wheat, barley, potato and fruits like grapes, walnut, apple, and pear. Its main road is Emam Khomeini Boulevard.

Universities and higher education
The following universities and centers are located in Euclid:


 * Islamic Azad University
 * Payam Noor Uni of Eghlid
 * Eghlid University
 * Eghlid Higher Education Center